How to play Badugi: the rules
In Badugi the hand you'd normally throw away is the winner: four low cards, all different suits, all different ranks. Here's the deck, the deal, the draws, and how two hands are compared.
Lowest wins, and suits must differ
Badugi is a lowball game: the LOWEST hand takes the pot. The catch that makes it unique is that your hand only counts cards that are all different suits AND all different ranks.
Which of your four cards counts toward your Badugi hand? Your holding has a duplicate suit, so one card must be discarded.
The deck and the deal
Standard 52-card deck. Before the cards are dealt, two players post small forced bets called the blinds, so there is always something in the pot to win (if you know Hold'em, it is the same small blind and big blind). Each player then gets FOUR cards face down. No community cards, no sharing, three drawing rounds to improve.
Four cards always beat three
Can't make a full badugi? Clashing cards are dropped and you keep your best non-clashing combo. A four-card hand always beats a three-card hand, however low.
Both players reach showdown in Badugi, where the lowest hand wins. Whose hand is better?
Bet, draw, repeat
The order is: bet, draw 1, bet, draw 2, bet, draw 3, final bet, showdown. On each draw you swap 0-4 cards. In fixed-limit (the bet sizes are fixed, not chosen freely), bets double for the last two rounds.
Showdown: read from the top card down
With equal card counts, the lower HIGH card wins; tie, then compare the next card down. So 7-6-5-4 beats 8-6-4-2. No flushes or straights exist here.
- Lowest wins; the nuts are A-2-3-4 in four different suits (aces low).
- A badugi counts only cards with all different suits AND ranks; clashers go dead.
- Four counting cards always beat three, no matter how low the three are.
- Compare from the highest card down: 7-high beats 8-high.
- Four hole cards, no community cards, three draws with a bet before and after each.
Test yourself
Answer them all — 20/24 to pass. Every answer gets an explanation.
In Badugi, which hand wins the pot?
Badugi is a lowball game, so the lowest qualifying hand wins.
How many cards is each player dealt in Badugi?
Each player receives four face-down cards and there are no community cards.
What is the best possible hand in Badugi?
A-2-3-4 with one card of each suit is the lowest badugi, often called the wheel.
For a card to count in your badugi, it must not share which with another counted card?
A counted card must have both a unique rank and a unique suit among the counted cards.
How are aces treated in Badugi?
Aces are always low, making them the best possible card in this lowball game.
A four-card 9-high badugi versus a three-card A-2-3. Who wins?
More counting cards always wins, so any four-card badugi beats any three-card hand.
How many drawing rounds are there in Badugi?
Badugi uses a triple-draw structure with three draws and four betting rounds.
Comparing an 8-6-4-2 badugi and a 7-6-5-4 badugi, which wins?
Badugis are compared from the highest card down, so the 7-high beats the 8-high.
Do flushes and straights have any value in Badugi?
Badugi has no straights or flushes; only low, non-clashing cards matter.
What does 'standing pat' mean?
Standing pat means keeping your hand and drawing no cards, usually signaling a made badugi.
How many cards may you discard and replace on a single draw?
You may draw any number from zero up to all four of your cards.
If two players both have three-card hands, how is the winner decided?
Same number of counting cards means you compare highest card first, then downward.
How many community cards are there in Badugi?
Badugi is a draw game with no community cards; your four cards are all yours.
In fixed-limit Badugi, when do the bets typically double to the big-bet size?
Bets are usually at the small size for the first two rounds, then double for the last two.
You hold 2h-3h-4s-5c. How does this hand count?
The two hearts clash so one is dead; the 4 of spades and 5 of clubs still count, leaving a three-card 5-4-2.
Drawing exactly one card usually indicates a player has what?
Drawing one means three cards already fit and you're seeking a fourth non-clashing card.
What is the betting sequence in Badugi?
A betting round comes before the first draw and after each of the three draws.
A player holds four cards of the same suit. What is the best hand they can have?
All four share a suit, so only one card can count, making it a one-card hand.
Which pair of cards clash and cannot both count?
Two threes share a rank, so they clash and only one can count.
Between a two-card hand and a three-card hand, which is better?
More counting cards always beats fewer, so three cards beats two.
The term 'a seven badugi' refers to a four-card badugi whose highest card is what?
Badugis are named by their highest card, so a seven badugi is headed by a 7.
You hold A-clubs, 5-clubs, 7-hearts, 9-spades. What is your hand?
The two clubs clash, so one dies; the 7 of hearts and 9 of spades still count, leaving the three-card 9-7-A.
Which start is a completed four-card badugi?
A-4-6-9 has four different suits and four different ranks, a valid four-card badugi.
Which of these four-card badugis is the strongest?
Compared from the top card down, the 6-high badugi is the lowest of these.
Review — all 24 questions & answers tap to expand
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In Badugi, which hand wins the pot?
Answer The lowest qualifying hand
Badugi is a lowball game, so the lowest qualifying hand wins.
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How many cards is each player dealt in Badugi?
Answer Four
Each player receives four face-down cards and there are no community cards.
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What is the best possible hand in Badugi?
Answer A-2-3-4 all different suits
A-2-3-4 with one card of each suit is the lowest badugi, often called the wheel.
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For a card to count in your badugi, it must not share which with another counted card?
Answer Either its rank or its suit
A counted card must have both a unique rank and a unique suit among the counted cards.
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How are aces treated in Badugi?
Answer Always low
Aces are always low, making them the best possible card in this lowball game.
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A four-card 9-high badugi versus a three-card A-2-3. Who wins?
Answer The four-card 9-high badugi
More counting cards always wins, so any four-card badugi beats any three-card hand.
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How many drawing rounds are there in Badugi?
Answer Three
Badugi uses a triple-draw structure with three draws and four betting rounds.
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Comparing an 8-6-4-2 badugi and a 7-6-5-4 badugi, which wins?
Answer 7-6-5-4 because its high card is lower
Badugis are compared from the highest card down, so the 7-high beats the 8-high.
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Do flushes and straights have any value in Badugi?
Answer No, they mean nothing
Badugi has no straights or flushes; only low, non-clashing cards matter.
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What does 'standing pat' mean?
Answer Drawing zero cards on a draw
Standing pat means keeping your hand and drawing no cards, usually signaling a made badugi.
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How many cards may you discard and replace on a single draw?
Answer Zero to four
You may draw any number from zero up to all four of your cards.
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If two players both have three-card hands, how is the winner decided?
Answer By comparing the three cards from the top down, lowest high card winning
Same number of counting cards means you compare highest card first, then downward.
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How many community cards are there in Badugi?
Answer Zero
Badugi is a draw game with no community cards; your four cards are all yours.
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In fixed-limit Badugi, when do the bets typically double to the big-bet size?
Answer After the second draw
Bets are usually at the small size for the first two rounds, then double for the last two.
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You hold 2h-3h-4s-5c. How does this hand count?
Answer The three-card hand 5-4-2
The two hearts clash so one is dead; the 4 of spades and 5 of clubs still count, leaving a three-card 5-4-2.
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Drawing exactly one card usually indicates a player has what?
Answer A three-card hand trying to complete a badugi
Drawing one means three cards already fit and you're seeking a fourth non-clashing card.
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What is the betting sequence in Badugi?
Answer Bet, draw 1, bet, draw 2, bet, draw 3, final bet, showdown
A betting round comes before the first draw and after each of the three draws.
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A player holds four cards of the same suit. What is the best hand they can have?
Answer A one-card hand
All four share a suit, so only one card can count, making it a one-card hand.
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Which pair of cards clash and cannot both count?
Answer 3-hearts and 3-spades
Two threes share a rank, so they clash and only one can count.
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Between a two-card hand and a three-card hand, which is better?
Answer The three-card hand
More counting cards always beats fewer, so three cards beats two.
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The term 'a seven badugi' refers to a four-card badugi whose highest card is what?
Answer A seven
Badugis are named by their highest card, so a seven badugi is headed by a 7.
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You hold A-clubs, 5-clubs, 7-hearts, 9-spades. What is your hand?
Answer The three-card hand 9-7-A
The two clubs clash, so one dies; the 7 of hearts and 9 of spades still count, leaving the three-card 9-7-A.
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Which start is a completed four-card badugi?
Answer A-clubs, 4-diamonds, 6-hearts, 9-spades
A-4-6-9 has four different suits and four different ranks, a valid four-card badugi.
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Which of these four-card badugis is the strongest?
Answer 6-4-3-A
Compared from the top card down, the 6-high badugi is the lowest of these.